追い抜く|おいぬくoinuku[3]nakadaka (mid-high)

Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, transitive verbto pass (a car); to overtake
  2. godan verb, transitive verbto surpass; to outstrip; to outdistance; to outsail
Conjugation
Dictionary form追い抜く(おいぬく)
Polite (masu)追い抜きます(おいぬきます)
Negative (nai)追い抜かない(おいぬかない)
polite (masen)追い抜きません(おいぬきません)
classical zu / nu追い抜かず・追い抜かぬ(おいぬかず・おいぬかぬ)
Past (ta)追い抜いた(おいぬいた)
polite (mashita)追い抜きました(おいぬきました)
Past negative (nakatta)追い抜かなかった(おいぬかなかった)
polite (masen deshita)追い抜きませんでした(おいぬきませんでした)
Te form追い抜いて(おいぬいて)
Potential追い抜ける(おいぬける)
Passive追い抜かれる(おいぬかれる)
Causative追い抜かせる(おいぬかせる)
Causative passive追い抜かせられる・追い抜かされる(おいぬかせられる・おいぬかされる)
Conditional (ba)追い抜けば(おいぬけば)
tara追い抜いたら(おいぬいたら)
Volitional追い抜こう(おいぬこう)
polite (mashou)追い抜きましょう(おいぬきましょう)
Imperative追い抜け(おいぬけ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym追い越すおいこすNeutralCatches up from behind and moves ahead; leans toward traffic and is the road-law term, while 「追い抜く」 also figuratively covers surpassing a rival in results.
  • Synonym追い越しおいこしNeutralA noun for overtaking, as in 「追い越し禁止」; leans toward traffic rules.
  • Synonym抜き去るぬきさるWrittenWritten/formal prose for passing and leaving someone behind, leaning toward race description, as in 「一気に抜き去る」.
  • Related抜くぬくNeutralMeans to pass or overtake, but also to pull out; colloquial, as in 「前の車を抜く」.
  • Related通り過ぎるとおりすぎるNeutralMeans to go past or pass by; it does not emphasize overtaking the other party.
  • Antonym追い越されるNeutralTo be overtaken; the opposite of the passing done by 「追い抜く」.
  • Antonym抜かれるNeutralTo be overtaken by someone; the opposite of 「追い抜く」, colloquial.

To catch up from behind and pass, use 「追い抜く」 or 「追い越す」; for races and results, 「追い抜く」 is the usual choice, as in 「先輩を追い抜く」. For overtaking in traffic, 「追い越し」 fits, and to say you were overtaken, use 「抜かれる」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. 後あとから来きて追い付おいつき、さらに先さきに出でる。
  2. 能力のうりょくや成績せいせきなどにおいて、目標もくひょうとする者ものを上回うわまわる。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

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